Everything we know about Madden 19 on PC

The NFL is making a long overdue return to PC. Time to get ready for football season.

Madden 19 marks the return of the long-running American football series to PC, which means my dad will finally respect my career. Since the series last appeared on PC over a decade ago, football has changed and Madden with it. Now running in Battlefield's Frostbite Engine, Madden 19 features an entirely new locomotion system, some bespoke PC controls, and—this will come as a surprise to lapsed players—a brand new story mode. We've missed the NFL on PC. Here's everything we know about Madden 19.

When is Madden 19's release date?

Madden 19 will release on August 10, but the release date reads August 9 in the Origin game client. Maybe PC players can unlock it a few hours earlier. For the extra impatient, you can play it three days earlier if you're willing to buy the Hall of Fame edition for an extra $20.

What are Madden 19's PC system requirements?

We don't know quite yet. Origin lists them as coming soon. We don't expect Madden 19 to be a major burden on your system, though it runs in the Frostbite engine which is also used for Battlefield. If you have problems with one, you might have problems with the other.

Will Madden 19 have decent mouse and keyboard support?

Seems so! Chris had some limited hands-on time with Madden 19 running on PC at E3 this year, and came away surprised with how well the mouse worked as a virtual thumbstick. "A circle appears in the right corner of the screen with an arrow in it. Move the mouse a little in any direction and the player moves in that direction slowly, like a defender hovering around in the backfield before the snap. Move the mouse further and the player moves faster."

Chris says you can also scroll the mousewheel to change the camera view on the fly. We're still waiting on whether the keyboard controls will be re-mappable or not, but the news is good overall. Madden 19 won't be a crummy port, it seems.

Is the Longshot story mode returning?

Yep. For PC players unaware, Longshot was Madden 18's first attempt at a dramatic singleplayer story, largely told through interactive cutscenes and small action sequences. Notably, Longshot didn't actually feature any bits with Madden's primary football game mode, which Madden 19's sequel story will allegedly rectify.

What the hell is "Real Player Motion"?

I'm glad you asked. I'm not exactly sure, but every Madden needs to release with a fancy new system to make for a new bullet point on the box. EA describes it as a complete rework of the locomotion system. It sounds pretty complex, with players' run cycles "visually and functionally separated based on each player’s height, weight, position, and ratings."

An Acceleration Burst mechanic now takes players to top speeds (based on their stats), but prevents players from making sharp changes in direction. Some new button combos allow for cuts, strafe bursts, branching special moves, and better control "in the trenches on running plays." For anyone that's been away from Madden for a decade, it's all new, but I can still appreciate the depth of attention given to the simulation year after year.

Who are Madden 19's best players?

Seven players will start with 99 ratings in Madden 19 this year, including Tom Brady, Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Aaron Rodgers, Luke Kuechly, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski. 99 is Madden's highest possible cumulative stat rating, though stats are changed weekly in tandem with the NFL's running season to keep them somewhat true to life.

Who's on the cover this year?

The Standard Edition of Madden 19 features the silhouette of a football player, which might be to indicate that it's you! You're the star! Congratulations. Wow, who have you told?

But the Hall of Fame features someone who isn't you, I'm sorry to say. It's Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys, recent inductee into the (surprise) Hall of Fame. Here's what it looks like.

James is PC Gamer’s bad boy, staying up late to cover Fortnite while cooking up radical ideas for the weekly livestream. He can still kickflip and swears a lot. You’ll find him somewhere in the west growing mushrooms and playing Dark Souls.